Acne.org Products
Oral Retinoid
Efficacy
87%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Use with EXTREME CAUTION: Causes severe birth defects and fetal death.
Oral Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
The nuclear option. It works reliably and provides long-term remission of acne, and even severe acne, in about ⅔ of people who properly take an adequate dosage. However, it permanently and irreversibly changes the skin and the body forever and users may experience long-term side effects for the rest of their lives. It’ll nuke it, but there is no going back.
Oral Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 18, 2010
Cons:
THE WORST THING EVER WAS THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE AND FOR ME ABOUT 3 MONTHS, MY ACNE BROKE OUT WORSE THAN IT HAD EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE. My doc said it is pushing everything to the surface. But after 3 months of total HELL it started to clear up, and then POOF not even one pimple! Even the blackheads on my nose went away!
Dryness for me wasn't too bad, I just used lotion daily (CeraVe). And kept Vaseline chapstick in my pocket!!! I applied it all the time and it was fine!
Well, to be honest I have used this medication twice. The first time for 6 months (that's as long as my doc would let me be on it at one time). Then about 8 months later I started to breakout again. So....I went back to my doc and he put my back on it. It cleared it up again...(6 month course) and now about 6 months after being off accutane I am starting to breakout again. The breakouts aren't THAT BAD, but it is constant, which means it will get worse...I notice that the oily skin comes back after accutane is stopped (which sucks, I loved that about accutane, no oil!!!).
I really do recommend this medication. It has changed my life.
I would go back on it right now, however I am in full time medical school and therefore I am not working so I don't have medical insurance, and without insurance there is NO WAY anyone could afford this medication unless they are a millionaire. My local drug stores ask cash price of around $700 a month for the GENERIC! That is not even including the cost of the doctors monthly office visits, pregnancy tests, blood tests....and so on! It would cost about $1,000 a month for me, and if I did this for 6 months, that's over $6,000. I can't afford that as a starving college student. :( If you've tried everything and have lost hope, try this medication. Remember, in the beginning of the treatment, it is ROUGH, I wanted to stop because of the breakouts, but I stuck with it, and got amazing results!
You have to weigh the good and the bad. Side effects vs. results. For me, the results are worth all the side effects!
December 7, 2009
Pros:
Sucks accutane did not clear me up at all and i was on it for 7 months
Cons:
the worst side effects ever.... bone pain joint pain muscle weakness dry skin bad rashes bad head aches tiredness bloody noses...
waste of my mothers money...... Never again
December 1, 2009
Pros:
Clear skin on and off. Last month of it.
Cons:
Flaky skin, bipolar amplifier (I'm bipolar), loss of interest, motivation, personality, etc. Even for my friends who aren't bipolar, it's still a "living hell".
My back acne wouldn't clear up after 2 years of treatment. Now my back has 1 or 2 zits on it and tomorrow is my last dermatologist visit (last month of Accutane). I have very mild bipolar syndrome, and the Accutane makes it worse than it's ever been. IF YOU ARE DEPRESSED OR BIPOLAR DO NOT START ACCUTANE TREATMENT. PLEASE!!!!! You will regret it as I have, but luckily I'm almost done with it. This is purely a last resort medicine.
November 29, 2009
Pros:
Skin less oily and less irritated in just one week.
Cons:
Gastritis and urethritis.
I could not take this drug. After the first week, I was in constant pain. My stool turned almost black and my stomach was in knots. I had sharp pains in my bladder and burning with urination. My doctor said it's rare to have such a negative reaction but I had to stop. I'm going back to topical retinoids. Tazorac works well enough.
November 4, 2009
Pros:
clear skin extremly powerfull.
Cons:
chapped lips, dry skin, depression, back pain, aches.
Definatly worth all of the horrible side effects! My skin started to get worse when first using it but then my acne scabbed over and started to dry away, also my blackheads reduced in size in a matter of a month.
October 30, 2009
Pros:
clear skin , and also my confidence skyrocketed i became a pimp lol ( Just kidding ) but I became more outgoing , I am not afriad of talking to a girl cuz of my acne, I got out more often then i did when I had acne.
Cons:
dry lips. sore muscles, upset stomach , and headaches, palpitations make sure you take it with food cuz if not your heart start pounding , believe me!!!
I had acne for 4 years and nothing seemed to work until I took accutane , it cleared my skin , it did what it was supposed to do which is great. I thank God also cuz he helped me to get through the treatment it was a nightmare , but it was worth it.accutane is a very string drug , dont f**k with that sh*t , you have to be careful use it as a last resort . if you think that you dont have any other option then got for it . I mean I know how it feels to have bad skin . my muscles are still sore
October 28, 2009
Pros:
definately clears up the skin..
Cons:
dry lips & sensitive skin
it works but may not be permanant as i've completed a course 3 years ago and my acne has come back, so i'm taking it again.
October 28, 2009
Pros:
My younger brother took accutane last year to help clear the teen acne. It seemed like a great idea, clearing up his acne and giving him that boost in confidence all teen boys need. While these were great changes, they were short lived.
Cons:
My brother fell into a deep depression. He had a loss of social interaction, hallucinations, a loss of motivation and severe changes in the appetite of a young teen boy. My brother could not make it school and could hardly ever make it out of bed.
Every test in the book was ran rule out any illnesses or cancer, and now his condition is attributed to accutane. Now that we know what has caused my brother to become a completely different person who may never become a productive person in our society, I want to make sure others seriously consider the risks of this dangerous drugs. It is hard to cope with the fact that such a dangerous acne pill that shouldn't be on the market has mutilated the life of my brother and taken him away from me. It is hard to watch my Mom and Dad have so much hope for their son, but sadly realize there really isn't any. I miss my brother...don't lose your loved one to accutane!
October 21, 2009
Pros:
Totally works! Completely cleared my skin!
Cons:
Severely dry lips, dry skin, nosebleeds, drowsiness, blurred vision, minor aches
This stuff really works, but don't expect fast results. Be patient! I almost gave up on it because I didn't really see results until just now (4th month). The side effects seem severe, but it's mostly in the beginning. Also depends on your dosage, though. I'm on 80 mg. (two pills per day). They'll start you off at 40mg, and you can increase if you can handle the effects. You adjust over time. My only problem at this point is the dry lips. It's kind of a pain to get the stuff. You have to take a monthly pregnancy test and short online quiz to even be able to get the medication. Overall, not a super-easy process to go through, but worth it in the end.
September 30, 2009
Pros:
completely clears moderate acne
Cons:
long term skin dryness (not just while on the drug!) and premature ageing of the skin
If you feel you've exhausted all options and nothing is working this drug is the answer. The serious downside is that you won't know what the side effects will be...I had minor skin dryness/lips/excema whilst on accutane for 6 months. For the following year my skin was perfect. Then it began to get progressively dry. I am now at the point of using lip balm every few hours and using the heaviest available moisturizer on face and body. I also have developed wrinkles on my face and hands due to the dryness and fragility of my skin due to accutane, as well as excema.
For some people accutane is the only option. But please ensure that it is only the LAST option. It is not a 'miracle drug'. There are serious side effects. I would not take this drug again in retrospect. For MOST people there are other options. I would strongly recommend you take them first. Permanently dry/wrinkles/red/itching skin may be with me for the rest of my life thanks to this drug.
Pros:
It is the only thing that cleared my skin! I have tried Proactive, every over the counter facial cleaner for acne, all the 'normally' prescribed antibiotics, an antihypertensive medication Spironolactone (Aldactone), and even tried prednisone!! This is MY miracle drug!